Rebeka Sultan Moly's Two Women is currently on display at Siddhartha Art Gallery in the exhibition "Nepal Rendezvous-Nagarkot Workshop." This exhibition features the paintings of 13 Nepali and Bangladeshi artists who participated in a workshop at Nargarkot.  nepalnews.com/sw

Attending the painting exhibition titled 'Nepal Rendezvous - Nagarkot Workshop' by 13 Nepali and Bangladeshi artists at Siddhartha Art Gallery, Baber Mahal Revisited, one felt suddenly captivated by a company of women.

An enigmatic company of women to be precise -- for one, there was a beautiful woman with lush blue eyes, but who had cactuses with very sharp bristles all over her head. It was painted by Bangladeshi artist Nasreen Begum.

There was this other woman, painted with vibrant colors and lines by another Bangladeshi artist Farida Zaman, who appeared to be full of life as she rode a rickshaw (apparently a common mode of transport in Bangladesh) while another by Rebeka Sultan Moly was clad in very modest dress but who was showing off her sharp features, especially her finely pointed chin.

The theater troupe Prachyanat performs traditional Bangladeshi songs at a reception for the Bangledeshi ambassador, Monday. nepalnews.co/sw

Similarly, another sensuous ethnic woman, painted by Kanak Chanpa Chakma, was either aiming an arrow or just standing all by herself, the majestic mountains the backdrop.

The paintings by Fariha Zeba and Sulekha Choudhary were also equally fascinating to look at, as was those by Erina Tamrakar and Pramila Bajracharya, who were among the six Nepali artist who participated in the group exhibition.

The women in the paintings were either at work, in her environment and in nature, as Sangeeta Thapa, Art Curator of Siddhartha Art Gallery rightly pointed out.

She said that though each of these Bangladeshi artists have their distinct style, the iconic female figure is their inspiration.

The aforementioned Bangladeshi artists were members of the SHAKO, a Women Artist Association of Bangladesh.

Erina Tamrakar's painting from the "Nepal Rendezvous-Nargarkot Workshop" exhibition on display at Siddhartha Art Gallery.  nepalnews.com/sw

SHAKO mean a 'bridge' in Bengali language, and the paintings on display definitely attempted to serve as a link between Bangladesh and Nepal, to share cultural and intellectual affinities and make the bonds between the two countries more strong.

The paintings on display were the result of 3-days retreat and workshop in the beautiful, sylvan environs of Nagarkot hills. The seven Bangladeshi women artists were there together with six of their Nepali counterparts -- Asha Dangol, Pramila Bajracharya, Erina Tamrakar, Sunita Shah and senior artists Batsa Gopal Vaidya and Sashi Shah.

The paintings on display definitely showed the silent interactions that went on between the Nepali and Bangladeshi artists during the period.

The paintings by Nepali artists were equally exquisite. Apart from the genius of the two senior Nepali artist duo, Erina Tamrakar's portrayal of a woman in the field was definitely a work of a genius.

To artist Asha Dangol, the Bangladeshi artist's perception of Nepal is clearly reflected in their paintings.

It was not only an evening of art, but also fun-filled music, as the theater troupe Prachyanat from Bangladesh performed traditional Bengali folk songs at the courtyard of Babermahal revisited where the gallery is housed.

Their rousing rendition of Bengali folk song with very lively music was appreciated by the small audience who were gathered there.

Bangladesh's ambassador to Nepal Imtiaz Ahmed with his wife at the art reception in Siddhartha Art Gallery, Monday. nepalnews.com/sw

A land of art and music, it was not for nothing that Bangladeshi people proudly call their land, Amar Shonar Bangla.

Prachyanat was especially invited from Dhaka by the Bangladeshi Ambassador to Nepal Imtiaz Ahmed to perform at the farewell reception he threw before leaving on his next assignment in Europe.

According to Thapa, it is important that workshops and intercultural dialogues take place, to move beyond the mundane rhetoric and prescribed trajectories of a bilateral diplomatic relationship.

And quite rightly the paintings made during the workshop and the beautifulfolk songs rendered by Prachyanat has proved to be an important cultural tool to enhance the existing cultural ties between Nepal and Bangladesh.

The exhibition will run till August 10th. nepalnews.com